How to Care for Your Car's Paint Job

Cars made since the 1980's tend to go through a multistage sort of paint job consisting of primer, color coat, and then a clear coat to add some of that shine. However, the clear coat is an easy to scratch thing and you may have noticed your newer vehicle shows all sorts of scratches and lines after even having been simply brushed against with an object. Here are some tips on how to preserve your cars paint job and possibly avoid all of those small swirls and scratches.

Washing your car is an important step in maintenance due to fallout from almost every passing thing. Bugs leave their trails of poo-product and dust attacks from all sides. Tree sap, dirt from the road, and chemicals mixed in the rain can even have adverse affects on your vehicle's paint job over time. Therefore keeping a consistent schedule of washing the vehicle off is a god practice. It is best not to use simple soaps such as dish soap on the car, due to it can strip the oil and wax. Most experts recommend using soaps specifically designed for use on vehicles. Other tips if you are washing the car yourself are: wash the vehicle in the shade with the paint surface cool, work from top to bottom; saving the wheels for last, and be gentle; perhaps purchase special towels designed for use on car surfaces.

If you have studied your car's surface and find lots of cracks and scratches, generally discoverable by lightly feeling the paint with your fingertips, then there are several options you may look into for repair. To get more detailed in your cleaning job and really get rid of the grittiness one option you can use is detailing clay. Detailing or cleaning clay is simple to rub on to the car's surface, preferably along with a lubricant, and tends to work well at removing bonded contaminants. Polishing the car can also help remove scratches and swirls as well as give the paint job a better shine. Make sure when using polishes that you read the label and it is deemed clear coat safe because some older products may do more harm than good. Waxing the car can be beneficial in building up a barrier to help protect the car after the other steps. Always be sure to follow the instructions.